‘Be Man Enough, Own Up to Your Words,’ Pacquiao Tells Mayweathers, Golden Boy Execs

By: eastsideboxing

SARANGANI, PHILIPPINES (Dec. 29)—Boxing’s pound-for-pound champion Manny Pacquiao became more incensed at Floyd Mayweather Jr., Floyd Sr. and executives of Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) for twisting facts and coming up with false statements that intended to cover up the mess that they created even as they put the blame on the Filipino and his team for the snag of talks to make the projected biggest fight in history from happening.

“I can’t believe these guys can lie without batting an eyelash and they would even make it appear that I am the culprit for the delay of the fight and saying that I don’t want it to happen,” said Pacquiao in Tagalog, as he released part of the information that he has been keeping—proof that Mayweather Jr. directly accused him of performance enhancement drugs (PED) use.

“Liars go to hell. They should be man enough and own up to their words,” said Pacquiao, as he recalled information that pointed out to Mayweather Jr. categorically stating that “the Philippines has the best (performance) enhancement drugs,” supporting what his father, Mayweather Sr. and his uncle Jeff Mayweather, have openly claimed in past interviews. They all claimed that Pacquiao was into some kind of “roids” (steroids) or has used other banned substances..

“It’s all over the internet. (Link: http://www.zshare.net/audio/676796581a1c2a9e/ listeners’ discretion is advised due to foul and harsh language). They all went on record and there is no denying as to who is lying or not,” added Pacquiao, who thinks he is becoming a victim of black propaganda with the intention of systematically besmirching, tarnishing and destroying his legacy as one of the best fighters of all time. In the audio recording, Mayweather linked him to drug use by maliciously stating that the Philippines is a producer of the best PEDs. “For including my country in the picture, claiming that we are producers of the best performance enhancing drugs, Mayweather and those who are guilty need to get punished, the sooner, the better, whether it be in the courts or in the ring.”

The now-famous Mayweather versus “RA, the Rugged Man” radio interview in October said it all about how Mayweather accused Pacquiao and the whole Filipino nation. Mayweather exploded at the 15:18 minute mark of the 21-minute interview. This transpired even before Pacquiao was to fight Miguel Cotto in November 2009.

Pacquiao reserved and kept other proof of defamatory statements made by other individuals, who will be charged later on in court. His legal team is readying materials in order to file a lawsuit soon. A lawsuit will be filed whether or not his fight with Mayweather will push through on March 13, 2010 in Las Vegas.

The Mayweather camp and Golden Boy Promotions, have required Pacquiao to undergo a new set of drug testing procedures other than those already required by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).

“I want to put this on the record again, that I will abide by the NSAC requirements like in all of the fights in boxing history, including all of my fights,” said Pacquiao, who vehemently denied claims that he was against drug testing.

“In all my years of fighting, I have never tested positive for any steroids or performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) use. I will provide any specimen, whether it be blood or urine samples, just right after the fight but not a day or two before, for obvious reasons. That should stop these clowns from asking for other drug testing procedures other than the ones already required by the NSAC.”

On Monday, Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions issued a joint statement in order to set the record straight. “They claimed that I threatened to walk away from the largest fight in history. That's their first lie! Last week, I told Floyd Jr. to shut his big, pretty mouth and that we should fight so that the world will get to see who is the best fighter in the planet,” said Pacquiao.

The Mayweather-GBP release also stated: “Let it be very clear that nobody from Team Mayweather or Golden Boy Promotions is accusing Pacquiao of anything. But the reality seems to be that for whatever reason Pacquiao does not want to participate in random blood testing, which has already been deemed a harmless procedure that many current athletes are subjected to prior to and during competition.”

“Again, all we need to see are the other recorded transcripts of what they said in websites and blogs. It is a pity that Oscar “Golden Boy” Dela Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions should have been supporting me, too, because his company has a promotional stake in my career. They all say they got my back, but yes, they stab me, too, when I turn my back,” said Pacquiao.

Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather: Winners and Losers

By Daniel “Tex” Cohen-December 5, 2009

For the first time since Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield, the Boxing world has produced a fight that all of mainstream America will hear about. Manny Pacquiao is close to a household name. His status in his home country is that of a man with 100% name recognition. His in-ring performance over the last five years is, unmatched; this statement can be made unabashedly, in spite of what any Mayweather fan may state.

Mayweather, however, is no chopped liver. We must remember that Money brings perhaps the purest talent to the table when he steps in the ring. His punches are crisp and quick, slashing and sneaking in from all angles and at all speeds. Mayweather fights like he’s on a pitcher’s mound. He’ll pound you inside with three fastballs, take something off and catch you on a changeup, then finish the job with a slow curve or more high heat. Mayweather’s knockout of Ricky Hatton, a scene already erased from the mind of many Boxing fans, is worth its weight in gold. It’s no exaggeration to say that the clip is plenty worthy of highlight reels. The fact that so many have forgotten and neglected that finale only reinforces Mayweather’s opinion that he does not get enough credit. If Pacquiao fans want him to shut up and fight their man, it might be a good time to give him some.

The problem with Boxing is that it takes a perfect world to make a perfect fight. Whereas other sports guarantee marquee matchups by way of schedules, major network TV, and divisional arrangements, Boxing is stuck in the dark ages of shady, backroom, aristocratic, thuggish dealings between millionaires that wouldn’t necessarily make it in other businesses.

Could you imagine if Yankees didn’t play the Red Sox next year because George Steinbrenner and John Henry were “too far apart on the money”? Major League Baseball doesn’t let “fights” fall apart because it knows that a positive image is what makes the “fights” worthwhile.

Boxing should take a cue and keep this bout together. First of all, it ought to know better anyway. Second, the world in which the camps of Pacquiao and Mayweather are negotiating a showdown will not get any closer to perfect. Mayweather was the Pound for Pound King. Pacquiao ascended the throne in his absence. Mayweather’s comeback fight was a victory over Pacquiao’s greatest foil in Juan Manuel Marquez. Pacquiao’s most recent victory was over one of Mayweather’s greatest foils in Miguel Cotto. Both guys are now most comfortable at welterweight. Both guys do huge Pay Per View numbers. Both guys have beaten both Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton. Both guys have promoters with major sway in the sport.

(Pacquiao is, of course, Bob Arum’s greatest fighter. Mayweather is now represented by Richard Schaeffer, a fact so under the radar it’s almost frightening. Think about it: Floyd Mayweather, JR., is basically a Golden Boy Promotions fighter. Should he be scared of the curse?)

There is little to nothing that can get in the way of this fight. However, this is the fight game, a sport that we love and hate. If anything could get in the way of a perfect storm, it would be something related to Boxing.

RSR presents the Top Obstacles to Pacquiao-Mayweather

#1 Money

Ok, so this one was a no-brainer. It still merits consideration. Mayweather wants 65% of the purse. Just typing that number caused me to bend in half laughing. I seriously had to just stop typing for five minutes. There is no way that Mayweather is the bigger star in a showdown between these two. His PR has finally caught up to him: Those on the fence now stand against him until he agrees to fight and keeps the bout together in spite of slight differences over dollars and cents. 50-50, Floyd. If you want to make 65, make it 35-35 with the final 30% riding on the victory.

#2 Shane Mosley

Mosley approached Mayweather in the ring after Floyd won his fight against Juan Manuel Marquez…and considering who now promotes Mayweather and Mosley, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if it were set up. Mosley is a great fighter, but he is a clear cut rung below Pacquiao when it comes to becoming half of a possible super fight. I have no problem with Shane getting an eventual shot at either man, but my fear is that he will be just dangerous enough and appealing to fight fans and just impressive enough in terms of resume-building that Mayweather will consider fighting him and retiring promptly afterward, again slipping out the backdoor of the building with the claim that he is the greatest of all time. However, this seems unlikely. Given the overwhelming amount of hype that is building around the bare prospect of Mayweather-Pacquiao, it seems unlikely that Mayweather will have anywhere else to go.

#3 Mayweather

I don’t think Floyd is looking to kill the fight (though his statements appear that way at first). All of the talk he does is for money; He’s actually very honest about his priorities. What I could see happening is Floyd’s ego growing so big that he can’t get close enough to negotiate. I know that this is close to reason number one, but there is an extra bit wrapped into ego. He not only thinks he is worth a certain amount of money. He also thinks he is worth a certain amount of time. The Boxing world wants to see him spend some of that time in the ring with Pacquiao… But I also want to win the lottery. We can’t always get what we want.

#4 Sanctioning Bodies

This one is a reach, but hear me out. Pacquiao is now the WBO Super Champion. To keep his belt, he has to fight a top contender at some point (Joshua Clottey is ranked number one).

You know what? Don’t hear me out. Manny Pacquiao doesn’t and shouldn’t care one bit about a stupid welterweight belt that’s barely worth the gym rubber it’s printed on. This fight will be for the Ring Pound for Pound Championship and never-ending greatness. After he fights Floyd, we’ll probably never see him in the ring again.

#5 Politics

I mean real politics, by the way, not the sort of nonsense that goes on between promoters on Sunday nights. Congress always gets its hands in something stupid, and I could see armed combat on the docket at some point in the future. Fortunately for us, that day is likely very far away, leaving plenty of time for the fight lobby to get its act together and make this stinking fight.

Pacquiao-Mayweather in Negotiations

By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com

Let the talks begin.

Formal negotiations in an effort to make a megafight between pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the first part of 2010 will open Monday, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com.

Schaefer was on his way Monday morning from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to meet Top Rank's Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, for lunch at the MGM Grand, which has hosted several Pacquiao and Mayweather fights.

"Floyd and me want to see if we can get the fight done," said Schaefer, who, although he doesn't have a promotional contract with Mayweather, has represented him in his past three fights and was asked to represent him in these talks. "The fact that I am flying to Las Vegas to meet with Bob shows you how serious our side is about making the fight.

"Bob and I will approach this without egos and try to get it done under fair terms. Floyd gave me his marching orders and I will see today how it goes and report back."

A pairing of Pacquiao and Mayweather is the biggest fight boxing has to offer and could break all sorts of revenue records.

In the year's biggest fight earlier this month, Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) beat Miguel Cotto on a technical knockout in the 12th round to win a welterweight title, his seventh title in a record seven weight divisions.

The fight sold 1.25 million units on pay-per-view and generated more than $70 million in domestic television revenue.

Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs), the former welterweight champ and pound-for-pound king before a short-lived retirement, returned on Sept. 19 to dominate lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez in a lopsided unanimous decision.

That fight generated 1.05 million buys on pay-per-view.

The all-time pay-per-view record is the 2.44 million buys generated by Mayweather's 2007 win against Oscar De La Hoya.

"I can confirm I am meeting with Richard, but I'm not going to talk about the specifics," Arum told ESPN.com. "It's a meeting where we will try to make the fight. Whether it can be made or not in this meeting, I don't know. We'll see what we will see."

Schaefer said he hopes he and Arum can make the fight quickly, rather than dragging the talks out for weeks.

"As part of the negotiations both Bob and I had to agree to keep all discussions confidential," Schaefer said. "No further comments will be made until such time that we either have a deal or the negotiations fall apart."

Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.